News Article - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

For Immediate Release
Monday, February 3, 1997
Contact:	Alan Safran

Twenty-Five Communities Receive Special Supplemental Funding For Education Reform

Malden - Twenty-five communities ranging from Franklin to Beverly to Sandwich will be receiving new funds to support Education Reform through the state's two-year old foundation reserve program, according to Commissioner of Education Robert V. Antonucci. The foundation reserve program was first established in Fiscal Year 1996 to help cities, towns and school districts deal with exceptional and unusual financial situations under the Commonwealth's Education Reform Law. A total of $10.2 million was appropriated by the Legislature and Governor in this year for the program. Of this amount, $7,451,828 was earmarked previously by the Legislature for specific communities. The remaining $2,748,172 was made available for distribution by the Department of Education through a competitive process. Thirty-seven municipalities and school districts requested additional funds totalling $12,488,317, five times the amount available for distribution by the Department of Education. Many of the districts which applied for discretionary funds are dealing with high enrollment growth or extraordinary special education costs. A school district's state education aid is determined using the prior year's October enrollment figures. Therefore, school districts which have had rapid growth between the previous October and the start of the next school year face financial difficulties because their new, actual enrollment will not be reflected in the funds they receive from the state. "The foundation reserve program is an important supplement to support Education Reform," stated Commissioner Antonucci. "I applaud Governor Weld, Lt. Governor Cellucci and the state Legislature for recognizing that many school districts are facing difficult financial situations and need additional funds to meet their students' needs. We regret that we did not have sufficient funds to accommodate all the districts which applied." The list of districts receiving special foundation reserve funds follows:

Ashby, $15,000;	Berkley, $72,000;
Berlin-Boylston, $84,000;	Beverly, $190,000;
Boylston, $25,000;	Danvers, $40,000;
East Bridgewater, $190,000;	Farmington River, $19,000;
Franklin, $190,000;	Grafton, $121,000;
Hudson, $86,000;	Malden, $190,000;
Mashpee, $190,000;	Nashoba, $190,000;
Norfolk, $102,000;	Pentucket, $115,000;
Plainfield$112,000;,	Plainview$72,000
Rockland, $22,000;	Rockport, $40,000;
Sandwich, $130,000;	South Shore Reg. Vocational, $40,000;
Southern Berkshire, $158,000;	Westford, $190,000;
Woburn, $165,000.

Last Updated: February 3, 1997